We Intertwined
by sk9975
Summary: Four lives intertwine one night. SpencerxOC. AshleyxOC. OCxOC. Spashley. I suck at summaries, but please read and review! Rating is subject to change. Update: ON HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

We Intertwined, Chap. 1:

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership to anything pertaining to South of Nowhere! However, I do own the characters Ryan Lancaster and Stephanie Kingston.

Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, so any reviews are greatly appreciated!

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Meet the amazing Ryan Lancaster.

The club was noisy and crowded, the booming music a perfect companion to the writhing bodies on the dance floor. Spencer looked around, trying to find Ashley's wild dark curls somewhere in the mix. As soon as they had gotten in there, she'd left to go dance with Aiden. Of course, the minute Spencer had accepted her invitation, she knew they would be all over each other…that's the way it had been ever since she had "okayed" their relationship. In reality, a blind man could see that Spencer still wasn't over her, but a blind man could also see that Ashley and Aiden were too busy with each other to notice anything else. After a while, Spencer had given up trying to look "extra pretty" or playing Ashley's favorite songs every time she came over. A girl could only do so much before she realized she wasn't wanted anymore.

She had tried, naturally, moving on from Ashley with other girls, but things just didn't feel the same…for a while, she'd really hoped that what she felt for Ashley Davies hadn't been true love, but in the end, she realized it definitely was. She had ruined Spencer for anyone else with the way she had touched her, kissed her, caressed her…everything she had done felt so perfect and graceful. Every other girl Spencer had been with just felt awkward and lame, as if it were their first time having ever been with someone. She felt pathetic, loving someone who couldn't love her back, but what made it harder to move on was that she _knew _she had had Ashley; she'd had her and let her slip away…with no closure, nonetheless. She simply hadn't given enough to keep her by her side.

Spencer sighed and looked around the club again, a weary look in her eyes. She wasn't exactly sure she wanted to be here right now. So far this night, she had been hit on five times and she had ignored all five girls. She was in no mood to hook up with anyone when she was feeling especially terrible tonight. Then again, the fact that she was feeling so terrible should've been motivation to hook up with anyone in sight, but it really wasn't. She just wanted to go home, curl up in her favorite pajama's, watch a disgustingly sweet romance movie, and eat Ben & Jerry's. Was that too much to ask for? Evidently it was because every time she tried to relax, some other problem arose.

Suddenly, she felt a body settle down on the stool next to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Spencer turned and felt her breath catch in her throat; the girl sitting down was breathtakingly stunning. She had long, shiny raven hair that fell gracefully past her lightly tanned shoulders in layers and framed her face perfectly. She had gorgeous facial structure and full, sculpted ruby lips. However, Spencer quickly noticed that the girl's most beautiful feature were easily her eyes: they were large and slightly almond shaped, framed by a thick, luxurious fringe of lashes. Their colors (yes, plural) were absolutely piercing; her left eye was a shocking blue--almost violet--and her right eye was a deep emerald.

"Ryan," Spencer heard a throaty voice snap her out of her reverie. The girl was grinning at her, showing off an adorable pair of dimples. "And, no, I'm not wearing contact lenses, but I do wear glasses when I read."

"Spencer Carlin," said Spencer. She felt a hot blush creeping up into her cheeks at seeing Ryan's positively cute smile and gorgeous eyes fixated on her.

"Nice to meet you, Spencer Carlin," answered Ryan. "If you prefer to go by first and last names, you can call me Ryan Lancaster. Now, what's a pretty girl like you doing alone? Vying for my company, are you?"

So this girl was obviously a flirt…a very _confident _flirt. Well, who wouldn't be confident with looks like hers? Spencer smiled sweetly and said, "How'd you guess?"

"Special talent of mine," winked Ryan. She oozed charm and charisma, Spencer also noticed.

"Yeah? Can you tell me what the hell I'm doing here when I really want to be at home?" Spencer blurted. She normally wouldn't say anything like that to a girl, but Ryan's steady gaze on her gave her a bit of security even though they'd only exchanged about three sentences. Ryan's eyes didn't roam anywhere else but Spencer's own stare, unlike most girls.

"You've been waiting to go home with me," said Ryan, her lip curling up to the side and deepening her dimple.

Spencer chuckled and felt herself easing up. She liked Ryan's sense of humor…her sinfully sexy smile didn't hurt either. "What makes you so sure about that?"

"Where to start?" Ryan lightly touched a finger to her deliciously pouty bottom lip and continued, "You've been staring at me like I'm a piece of meat and I can tell you're upset about something--possibly someone--and you're begging for the chance to forget."

Spencer felt her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Did she really give off that impression? "Really?"

"And don't worry, no one thinks you're desperate-looking. I'm just good at guessing these things," Ryan lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "God, I hate these cancer sticks. So, what do you say, Spencer Carlin? Do you want to take me up on my offer or spend at least a month wondering why you didn't?"

Spencer laughed again, saying, "I don't know…I mean, for all I know, you could be just messing with my mind. How do I know your grand scheme isn't to just humiliate me and leave me brokenhearted?"

Ryan let out a carefree, slightly hiccupy laugh that provided a little flutter in Spencer's stomach. "Step out of the routine and take your chances." She finished her cigarette with another long suck and blew a ring of smoke in Spencer's direction.

It was slightly scary how Ryan knew her mannerisms so well within just twenty minutes of talking to her. Even though they'd barely met, she felt as if Ryan knew her inside and out. It could have been attributed to the fact that she was so affable and likeable, but Spencer had a feeling it was something else. They had great chemistry: that rare, powerful kind you only found when both persons were really attracted to one another. She could feel it when her own blue eyes connected with Ryan's different-colored ones and that surge of electricity charged up her spine.

"I guess I'll have to find out for myself," Spencer replied after a long minute of thoughtful silence.

Ryan broke out into another one of her slightly crooked, loveable smiles. "It's a good thing I already told your friends you were leaving with me then."

"What?" asked Spencer incredulously. How was it possible that she knew Ashley and Aiden?

"It was an unlikely chance, but I saw you looking at the curly-haired girl and dark-haired guy a couple of times so I figured you knew them. Either that or you were checking out the girl, but I took my chances again," explained Ryan. "So I just walked up to them, said you were leaving with me, and left. I don't think your girl likes me too much."

"Who, Ashley?" Spencer realized then that she hadn't thought of her the whole time she had been talking to Ryan. Usually, she couldn't stop comparing girls to her. "She's not my girl."

"That's the one," Ryan smirked. "In fact, I'm pretty sure she wants to kill me, but that doesn't really matter. I'm the one going home with the hot blonde."

On one hand, Spencer wanted to reject Ryan and see her security deflated, but on the other, she found Ryan's confidence incredibly sexy, just like the rest of her. So instead, she stood up and said, "Wouldn't want to make them think you lied to them, would we?'

"No, we would not," Ryan stood up with her and the two weaved their way out of the club, unsuspecting of the envious pair of eyes watching them the whole time.

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**A/N: Thank you for getting this far. ( : Unless you just scrolled down to see the end...that's considered cheating! Anyway, an explanation on Ryan's different-colored eyes...she has a condition called _heterochroma iridium, _which is why they are two different colors. As you read on, you will see that Ryan is a very unique character indeed. Also, all of you Spashley lovers, do not despair! That's all I'm saying.**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I _still _don't own the S.O.N. characters...**

**Author's Note: Longer chapter this time. ( : Haha, I already have up to chapter four written, but I like to wait for a couple of reviews...bahaha. Thanks to all who reviewed last time! You made my day. For reals (okay, that's the last time I say that).**

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**We Intertwined [Chap. 2:**

_Now meet the love of Ryan Lancaster's life…_

When they got to Ryan's house--or, more appropriately, estate--Spencer couldn't help but feeling a little out of her league. Here was this completely striking girl who obviously had money and some level of intelligence while she herself was nothing too out of the ordinary. Ryan walked with the grace of an athlete, the kind that made her seem as if she was gliding across the floor instead of walking. Every movement of her body complimented another in a way that made Spencer feel gawky and clumsy. Somehow, anything Ryan did or said made her feel like a lesser human being. It could've been her ethereal looks, but it wasn't just that…everything she did was refined in a way.

They walked into the enormous living room and Ryan laid down on the couch, allowing her shirt to ride up a little and reveal a sliver of beautifully toned abs. Spencer forced her gaze away, not wanting Ryan to think she was ogling even though she was. She sat down next to Ryan's head and, to her slight surprise, felt Ryan lifting up her head onto Spencer's lap. She tensed up a little; since she had broken up with Ashley, anyone else's touch felt strange and alien-like.

Ryan laughed her hiccupy laugh and said, "I don't bite, Spence…unless the occasion calls for it." She lifted up her left arm and draped it over her forehead.

Something on Ryan's wrist caught Spencer's eye: it was a tattoo. Specifically, it was a name in elegant script. She arched an eyebrow when she saw the name--"Kingston". Spencer cleared her throat, "Interesting tattoo."

"That old thing?" grinned Ryan. "It's not exactly my favorite tattoo to explain, you know…doesn't help with getting laid." She winked.

"What other tattoos do you have?" asked Spencer, suddenly curious. She'd grown to love simple, but beautiful tattoos like that name after getting used to Ashley's.

Ryan stood up in front of Spencer and lowered the waistband of her jeans to just under her right hipbone, where she revealed a Chinese symbol. Before Spencer opened her mouth, she said, "It means 'strength'."

She then took off her shirt--she was wearing a black, lacy bra that she looked absolutely edible in--and turned around. On her right shoulder blade, a gorgeous, detailed angel with spread wings was shown with a scroll that read "Always & Forever" right under it. It had to be one of the most beautiful tattoos Spencer had ever seen, which was impressive considering the amount of tats going around in L.A.

"Do you always get a tattoo for your lovers?" smiled Spencer. It was sweet that an obvious player like Ryan would do that for someone.

Ryan sat down again, sans shirt, and turned to Spencer. "Not exactly. The Chinese symbol was for myself, but the other two were for a girl."

"You were in love with her," said Spencer, stating rather than asking.

"Am," corrected Ryan. "As much as I would love to be over Stephanie Kingston, that's proven to be nearly impossible…even after four months of not having a trace of her in my life."

"Sounds like you really did have it bad for her," Spencer said sympathetically. "You want to talk about it or something?"

"I haven't ever talked to anyone about it," sighed Ryan. She met Spencer's gaze and continued. "But I suppose I should start."

"I'll listen. Promise," Spencer smiled a little. After experiencing her own heartbreak, she was eager to hear how someone else coped with it…even if Ryan was almost a complete stranger.

"Well, how should I start? Steph and I were always pretty close growing up; we went through a lot of shit together. Of course, there was a definite attraction between us, but there was a little problem. I was a pretty big player and she wasn't exactly the most faithful girl in the world." Ryan paused.

"It wasn't until the summer before sophomore year that we started hooking up. Fuck yes, the sex was hot as hell, but feelings started to get involved. I didn't have experience with love and neither did she. I didn't want to fall in love; it was the last thing I needed at the time. But I did and I fell hard. We did things that purposely hurt each other and we couldn't stand one another half the time…but the love was present and it was strong," a tinge of sadness entered Ryan's voice.

"In the middle of our sophomore year, we started dating. We lasted longer than anyone thought we would; two and a half years, to be exact. We constantly fought and, to the eyes of an outsider, we didn't belong together. We knew different, though. In our hearts, we were the only ones for each other…or I thought she felt that way. Stephanie left about two months before we graduated. I haven't seen her in four months and I'm still as in love with her as I ever have been. Possibly even more," finished Ryan.

"Wow," said Spencer after a minute. "That's…intense. When did you get the tattoos?"

Ryan laughed dryly, "I actually got them after she left. They were ways to keep her close to me when I couldn't have her physical presence."

"Do you have any idea why she left?" Spencer felt as if she was intruding a little, but Ryan didn't seem to mind.

"Nope," she answered, running a hand through her lustrous hair. "I have no fucking clue why she just up and left."

"It must really hurt. I'm sorry," Spencer laid a cautious hand on Ryan's bare shoulder.

"It isn't the sharp pain it used to be. Now, it's just a dull throbbing that I've grown used to enough to ignore it," Ryan smiled weakly. "But enough of this morbid tale."

"Yeah," laughed Spencer lightly. Her eyes connected with Ryan's again and she felt herself slowly getting closer to her.

When their lips touched, an electrical current passed between them. It was soft and sweet, an almost chaste kiss. Ryan's lips quirked upward a little when they parted slightly before bringing her lips to Spencer's again. Soon, their kisses grew from hesitant to heatedly passionate, both of them brimming with the desperation of needing to forget. Spencer swung her leg over Ryan's body so that she was positioned on top of her, all the while never breaking the kiss.

Ryan was a wonderful kisser, as expected. Her lips were impossibly soft, molding over Spencer's in such a way that made her want to just tear the rest of her clothes off. Their hands were soon exploring the other's body, marveling at the new territory. There was no doubt in either's mind that they wanted each other, so much so that kissing was getting insufficient very quickly. They paused a second so that Ryan could remove Spencer's shirt, but then resumed their previous activities.

"Maybe we should get to my room," said Ryan in between kisses. "I don't exactly want to do this on a couch."

"It's called a loveseat for a reason," said Spencer haltingly. She really didn't want to move from her position on top of Ryan. She hadn't wanted anyone this badly in a long time, even if it was just physically.

Ryan chuckled, "True that."

There was a loud ringing and buzzing from the coffee table in front of them. Spencer groaned and pulled away from Ryan, who merely shrugged as if saying "take it if you have to". Spencer got off and walked over to the table, picking up her cell phone. She rolled her eyes as she saw who it was: Ashley. Sighing, she pressed the answer button and put the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" she said, an edgy tone to her voice.

"Hey," said Ashley. Her raspy voice held a hint of edginess as well. "So you really did take off with that girl."

"And?" said Spencer expectantly. It felt good to be the one with someone else for once.

There was a pause before Ashley said, "How are you gonna get home? I could stop by and pick you up right now, if you want."

"No, it's fine. I'm sure Ryan could take me home," Spencer glanced at Ryan, who nodded from her amused position.

"Oh," said Ashley. "Well, whatever. Just…get home before curfew."

"Okay, cop," said Spencer sarcastically.

"Whatever," mumbled Ashley. _Click._

Spencer sighed deeply, setting her phone back down on the coffee table. She smiled wearily at Ryan, saying, "So, where were we?"

Ryan arched an eyebrow, "Are you sure you want to do this right now? I mean, you seem a little shaken up."

"That's _exactly _why I want to do this right now," said Spencer, launching herself onto Ryan again.

Ryan didn't say anything, but merely complied with Spencer's wishes. It wasn't that she didn't want to do anything--she very much did--but she just wasn't sure that Spencer was ready for anything else yet. It could be just another hook-up, perhaps. Neither girls wanted to dwell on what would happen between them after tonight. For now, their physical needs were being met with soaring colors…

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**A/N: Ooooh, and the plot thickens! Who is this mysterious Stephanie? We'll find out. Is Ashley jellin'? Hell to the big yes she is! Just _what _did Ryan and Spencer do as the night progresses? Hmm...**

**Review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own South of Nowhere...as much as I would like to, this isn't going to change magically by the next chapter.**

**Author's Note: Chapter 3! Yay! Read on, kiddiewinkies. It's a long one, so yeah. Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter!**

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We Intertwined[Chap. 3:**

"_And I say, 'Baby, yes, I feel stupid to call you, but I'm lonely and I don't think you meant it when you said you couldn't love me. I thought maybe if I kissed the way you do, you'd feel it too…'."--Maria Mena, "Sorry."_

Stephanie Kingston ground her teeth together, trying to keep the anger from bubbling outward. Witnessing her ex-girlfriend with whom she was still very much in love with pick up some blonde and take her home had to be the icing on top of the cake of her very bad night. Granted, there was nothing that said Ryan couldn't date other people after the way Stephanie had just left her, but that didn't mean seeing her with someone else wouldn't strike up a deep anger within the other girl.

She'd only been back in California for a day, her primary mission being to find Ryan and fix everything between them. Of course, seeing as it was a Friday night, Stephanie knew she could find her at Gray…picking up other girls. When she'd first entered the club, discreetly, she'd seen Ryan immediately. How could she not when everyone else was staring at her as well? Her breath had shortened once she saw her; she still looked every bit as beautiful as she had the last day she'd seen her. Just as Stephanie was making her way to approach her, she saw the blonde take the seat next to her. Unsurprisingly, Ryan soon struck up a flirtatious conversation.

About twenty minutes later, the two were exiting the club one after the other and Stephanie was left watching, envy building up inside her. Now, she sat at the bar, downing her third apple martini, peevishly ignoring anyone who had tried to hit on her. She inwardly rolled her eyes for about the fiftieth time that night when she felt yet another body settle down next to her and order a shot with a scratchy voice. Stephanie could just _feel _the pick-up line coming. Instead, she was met with pure silence for the next five minutes.

"Hey," said the voice. _Ah, there it is, _thought Stephanie.

She turned, already prepared with her line of rejection. She stopped short, however, when she saw the girl sitting next to her. She wasn't anything like the blondes that had approached her. Instead, she had brunette, curly hair with a streak of blonde that fell over her dark eyes. Edgy clothing, an apparent attitude to spare, and a moody, pissed off look on her face confirmed that she was the classic rocker chick. Interesting. She seemed like the polar opposite to Ryan's vibrant, overwhelmingly energetic nature.

Stephanie merely nodded slightly and then returned her attention to her drink. The dark-haired girl laughed slightly, "I'm not trying to hit on you, so get that idea out of your head."

_Oooh, straightforward, _Stephanie thought. She turned to look at the girl again and retorted, "What makes you believe that's what I'm thinking about?"

"You were staring at me like I was another idiot," said the girl simply. "Ashley."

"Stephanie," she replied, downing the rest of the martini before signaling the bartender for another one. "You seem to be used to being stared at like an idiot if you recognize it so well."

"Whoa," said Ashley, indicating Stephanie's order of an other martini, but grinning at her zing. "Who are you trying to forget tonight?"

"No one," Stephanie answered bitterly. "Absofuckinglutely no one."

"You seem to be having a hard time believing your own story," said Ashley. "So, how long have you loved her?"

"Since she shared her cookies with me in second grade," said Stephanie, her traditional sarcastic edge entering her voice.

"Yeah?" queried Ashley. "And how long have you spent wishing you didn't ever leave her?"

"Every single second of every single minute for four months straight," said Stephanie softly. There was a familiar pain somewhere near the region of her heart starting up again.

"Let's go somewhere quieter to talk," suggested Ashley. "There's a coffee place just across from here that's open pretty much all day. Plus, this whole scene gets pretty lame later on in the night."

Stephanie nodded silently, weaving out of the club with Ashley in tow. They made there way out and to the coffee place, Night, in all of five minutes. They took the most private seat in the cozy place: a table for two in a dark corner. The tall waitress came over, taking both girls' orders of a decaf coffee. She smiled politely before leaving to place their orders.

"So," said Ashley. "Where were we?"

"Oh, you mean the part where I absolutely crushed my own heart by leaving Ryan without a warning?" said Stephanie wryly.

"Right," said Ashley. "Wait--did you say her name was Ryan?"

"Yup," said Stephanie. "Why?"

Ashley looked thoughtful for a moment, but then said, "I sort of know a Ryan, but I'm sure it's not the same one."

"Yeah," said Stephanie. "You would remember her perfectly should you ever meet her."

"Really? Is she that intriguing?" asked Ashley archly.

Stephanie nodded, "She really is. She's the whole package."

"Sounds like you," said Ashley, meeting Stephanie's gaze steadily.

"Yes," Stephanie smiled slightly. "She's got something I don't, though. It's that childlike wonder, that affinity for all things mischievous. Normally, I would find this immature in another, but there's something about the way she is that makes it okay. She's always there for me, but not in a way that would make her seem clingy. It's weird."

"I see," said Ashley. "I'm a little jealous of this wonder she has for the world. I'm just a little bit jaded. Sounds like you fell for her pretty hard."

Stephanie nodded again, moving her hands off the table so that the waitress could place their coffee's in front of them. She felt her eyebrows shoot slightly upward when she saw that the waitress had placed a napkin next to her coffee and not next to Ashley's. She smirked inwardly, already knowing this trick from many a waitress (and waiter).

Apparently, Ashley did too. With a knowing grin, she said, "So are you gonna call her?"

"Probably not," Stephanie shook her head. "Cute, but not my type. A little too lanky for my taste. She's reminiscent of my own stature and physique."

"Not that that's a bad thing…" murmured Ashley. At this point, all thought of Aiden and their stupid argument earlier over why she had been so upset about Spencer leaving with another girl left her mind.

Stephanie lifted an eyebrow slightly, "Are you trying to seduce me, Ms. Ashley…?"

"Davies," said Ashley. "And that depends…is it working?"

Stephanie laughed, "That also depends."

"On?" questioned Ashley.

"How far away your place is," said Stephanie. "Because, you know, the libido could be killed by that long, boring car ride to a lovers house. In which case, upon arrival, all we would do is have an intellectually stimulating conversation and the furthest you would get is spooning. Thereafter, you would be sexually frustrated while driving me _all _the way back home, wishing we were in your bed instead. Oh, and not to mention the waste of gas. Do _not _get me started on those gas prices these days…"

It was Ashley's turn to laugh; she was really enjoying herself for the first time in months. Stephanie was witty and razor-tongued, which made her all the more attractive even though she already was physically gorgeous. Wavy, glossy light brown hair, beautiful smile, perfect skin, and big, glassy, blue-green-gray eyes had all captured her attention the minute she'd sat next to her, even though her mind had been teeming with thoughts about what Spencer could be doing with the skanky bar slut she had gone home with. The shot she'd ordered earlier had helped in the forgetting process.

"Well," said Ashley. "I guess you're going to have to take your chances and find out, then."

Stephanie chuckled lightly. "Smooth operator, huh? You're still not getting any, hon. However, if you're still up for it, we can have that stimulating conversation…"

"Sounds like phone sex," smirked Ashley.

Stephanie rolled her eyes, but smiled. After taking a drink of her coffee, she said, "Oh, the maturity of 21st century teenagers."

"Maturity is overrated," shot back Ashley. "Besides, you can't be much older than I am. I'm seventeen."

"Eighteen," admitted Stephanie. "And soon to attend Vassar as an English major, I will have you know."

"Really? I always thought smart people were hot," Ashley stared at Stephanie with mock sultriness, placing her hand upon her arm.

"You are just not going to quit, are you?" asked Stephanie, struggling to keep her expression serious.

"Nope," grinned Ashley. "At least, not until after we have sex. Hit it and quit it, baby."

"I'm not so sure you're joking about that…" trailed off Stephanie.

Ashley scoffed, "What--do you think I'm some sleaze or something? Please. Give me a little credit! I'm classier than that."

"Oh, right, you're one of the girls that has sex with someone, takes them out to lunch the next day, and _then _never calls again," said Stephanie. "Yup, that's real classy, Davies."

"Verbal sparring gets me horny," deadpanned Ashley.

"Still not working," trilled Stephanie. She stirred the spoon in her coffee lazily, enjoying how much she was proving Ashley's thoughts of her wrong. She'd undoubtedly shoved her into the category as one of those girls that used sex to avoid facing their problems.

"My self-esteem is taking a real hit today," muttered Ashley, glaring at Stephanie pointedly.

"I can't be the only one beating it down," reasoned Stephanie. "You've known me for all of thirty minutes. My opinion can't possibly count that much."

"Yeah, you're not…but you know what would make me feel better?" said Ashley impishly.

"A stimulating, gas-free conversation?" said Stephanie slyly.

"If you do not stop with the stimulating gas thing, I will take you out on a fabulous, romantic dinner date and then never call you again!" threatened Ashley. Her smile indicated the lack of authenticity in her threat.

"What makes you think I would even go on the date?" challenged Stephanie.

"You are impossible," Ashley held up her hands in a sign of defeat. "Fine. I give up. Let's go back to your place and have that 'stimulating conversation'."

"That's the spirit!" cheered Stephanie. "And if you think you can seduce me later on, you're wrong, Davies."

"Jeez," said Ashley. "This Ryan chick must have superpowers…"

Stephanie merely laughed and stood up, dropping a couple of bills on the table and leading Ashley out of the café, who's mind was racing with thoughts at the entirely new prospect of going to someone's house for something other than hooking up. Although her conscience was telling her she should be fixing things with Aiden, she didn't really care. In between their argument and her jealousy concerning Spencer, she needed to just chill and she had a feeling that Stephanie was the perfect companion for doing just that.

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**A/N: So, what did you think? It was relatively uneventful, I know, but I promise chapter 4 makes up for that!**

**Don't you just loooove Steph's cynicism? Ashley deserves her rejection! But don't worry...I love Ash, so it won't be a hatefest. Haha.**

**Chap. 4 is still being refined, so this is probably the last update for the day. I think it'll be up by tomorrow night, maybe Monday night. It depends on how much time I have to do everything. **

**Review and thanks in advance!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything concerning South of Nowhere.**

**Author's Note: Hey, guys. Sorry for the wait, but I'm really busy...got a lot of stuff going on. Here it is, though! They're getting progressively longer. ( :**

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**We Intertwined, Chap. 4:**

"_Who'd have thought a love like that would wither and wash out as winter pulls near?"--Tina Dico, "Back Where We Started"._

Ryan sat up on the couch, trying not to move the sleeping girl spooned in front of her body. After Spencer's phone call, they'd kissed intensely for about twenty minutes and were about to go farther when Ryan called a halt to it. Although there was no doubt in her own mind that she wanted something more with Spencer, she wasn't entirely sure that Spencer wanted the same thing. She was clearly upset after her phone call with whoever and it didn't seem like a good idea to confuse her feelings further by hooking up. Afterwards, they'd had a long "getting-to-know-each-other" conversation before they just lay there, tangled together.

Ryan's eyes flickered over to the clock atop of the large screen TV. The glowing digits read 11:30 p.m. Judging by Spencer's All-American good girl looks, her curfew was most likely coming up soon. Ryan didn't want to wake her up because she looked so absolutely peaceful, but she didn't want to get her in trouble either. So she nudged Spencer's arm carefully, testing to see if that would wake her up. As it was, she seemed to be a light sleeper because her eyes fluttered open almost instantly.

"Hey, you," she said sleepily. "What time is it?"

"11:36," answered Ryan. "Do you want me to take you home now? I don't want to get you in trouble or anything."

"That's sweet," said Spencer. "But I don't have to be home until 1 a.m."

"Oh," said Ryan. "Do you wanna watch a movie or something? 'Cause I am the proud owner of _the _best indie films in all of history as well as the title holder of Best Cuddler Ever."

Spencer felt her heart melt at Ryan's earnest tone. She seemed to really want to do what Spencer wanted, to make her really feel at home. She hadn't felt so cared for in such a long time that it stirred a deep yearning within her. She'd only met Ryan a few hours ago, but it felt like she could trust her with her life. Spencer didn't dwell on what made her so trustworthy; she just wanted, for once in her life, to go with her gut feeling. And, right now, her gut feeling was telling her to cuddle up Ryan and watch one of those apparently amazing indie films.

"That sounds great," said Spencer, rubbing the remaining sleepiness out of her eyes. She noticed that Ryan had covered her torso with a soft fleece blanket, which she now tightened over her shoulders.

"Awesome," Ryan smiled widely. "I've got a good one right on top of the DVD player, it just so happens. Pan's Labyrinth. You ever heard of it?"

Spencer shook her head, "Nope."

"Sweet. Even better," Ryan hopped off the couch and tinkered with the entertainment system before taking her seat next to Spencer again. "It's more than a little creepy, but it's excellent. One of my favorites."

Spencer had to smile at Ryan's adorable enthusiasm about something so simple as watching a movie together. She was trying so hard to make everything perfect despite the fact that they'd only met that same night. Spencer's opinion about Ryan had drastically changed since their conversation at the club. Yes, she was self-proclaimed player, but she'd also shown such a sweet and caring side to her that Spencer suspected that Ryan didn't exactly _dump _girls after they'd slept together. Maybe she stuck around a little.

"Penny for your thoughts," said Ryan, an amused tone in her voice. She gently twirled one of Spencer's blonde locks around her index finger.

"I want the money upfront," joked Spencer. "I don't know…I'm just thinking about how nice you've been tonight even though we barely met."

"I like you," said Ryan simply. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't looking for anything other than a hook up tonight, but we've had such a good time together while not entirely doing something sexual. I enjoy your company a lot and I don't want to mess anything up so soon."

"I like you, too," replied Spencer. "But I'm not sure I'm ready to jump into another relationship anytime soon."

"It's okay," assured Ryan. "That's why I said that I didn't want to mess anything up so soon. I stopped what we were doing because I knew you weren't ready. Let's just take everything slow, okay? Let it all play out however it will."

"That sounds really good," said Spencer. Instinctively, she tilted her head upward and brushed her lips lightly against Ryan's jaw.

A soft smile played at Ryan's lips. "Good. Well, let's get to watching then. We don't have a lot of time, but it's not a particularly long movie either."

"Okay," said Spencer, snuggling close to Ryan's warm body. For the first time in a while--and in the most unlikely place, no less--she'd met someone she genuinely liked. Things were finally starting to look up.

* * *

"So, this is your place? It's pretty nice for an non-working eighteen-year-old to be able to afford," mused Ashley, stepping inside of Stephanie's luxurious loft. "Same goes for your ride."

Stephanie dropped the keys to her white Nissan 350z on the kitchen counter, peering around at her home. It had been the first time she'd set foot in the place the whole day; she'd spent most of her time back with her parents, attending some event. It looked impeccable, though, which tipped her off that her meticulous mother had undoubtedly contracted a maid service to care for it while Stephanie was away. The Copenhagen furniture was perfectly placed while all of the Bose, Apple, and Sony electronics looked spotless. The only thing that mattered to her, however, was that her books were all as intact as she'd left them.

"Yup," said Stephanie. "I haven't paid for anything in it. My parents insist that I focus on my studies while they take care of the rest."

"Sounds nice," said Ashley. "I wish my mom cared about me enough to check up on how I'm doing once in a while."

"Ah, the neglectful parent," said Stephanie. "Well, I'm sorry you had to face such an ugly childhood."

Ashley shrugged, "I don't really care about that witch I'm supposed to call my mother."

Stephanie chuckled, "To each her own. Anyway, feel free to look around. my room is the last one down the hallway on the left if you want to check it out or something. I'm going to pour myself some water and have a PB&J."

"Cool," said Ashley.

She began walking towards the direction Stephanie had pointed her to and found herself in her large, neat room. It was full of traditional furniture, looking like a picture out of a bedroom catalogue. It smelled like Stephanie: vanilla with a twist of cinnamon and a hint of mocha. Ashley couldn't helping wondering if she tasted like that too. As she plopped down on Stephanie's large bed, something caught her eye. It was a picture inside of a silver frame of two girls. One of them was Stephanie and the other was the girl from the club that had taken Spencer home with her.

* * *

"That was officially the freakiest thing I've ever seen in my life," announced Spencer, buckling the seatbelt inside of Ryan's sleek black Altima as they pulled out of the driveway en route to her house. "But it was so interesting."

Ryan laughed, saying, "I'm glad you liked it. Movies are pretty much my entire life."

"Do you plan on majoring in anything about film or something?" Spencer asked. "You mentioned earlier that you were heading for college in about a month and a half."

"No," Ryan shook her head. "I'm heading up to Dartmouth to study neurosurgery, actually."

"Really? That's cool. I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life. I still have my senior year ahead of me," sighed Spencer.

"Best year," said Ryan. "I don't mind being a neurosurgeon, but it's not my first option."

"Are your parents doctors?" Spencer was eager to know what Ryan's life was like further than what they talked about.

"Yup," answered Ryan. "My mom is an OB/GYN and my dad is a neurosurgeon. They both attended Dartmouth."

"Impressive," said Spencer. For the next few minutes, they continued their talk on what the other was planning for the future until they reached Spencer's house at exactly 12: 55 a.m.

"So, I guess this is where I leave you," said Ryan.

"Are you kidding me? No, you're coming inside. The lights are still on. My mom and Clay are out of town, which means you can still meet either my dad or my brother Glen. Maybe both, if it's meant to be," said Spencer.

Ryan laughed and killed the engine of her car, stepping out into the night along with Spencer. "Alright, then. Sounds like a plan."

The two girls made their way up to the front door of the Carlin household, double-checking that both of them looked presentable. Spencer unlocked the front door and took a step inside, calling out, "Dad? Glen?"

"In here!" she heard Glen yell back. By the noises coming from the TV, Spencer figured that they were playing video games.

Spencer indicated for Ryan to follow her into the living room, where she found her dad and Clay. "Hey, guys. This is Ryan. She's a new friend of mine."

"Hey," said Glen, not letting his eyes wander from the screen.

"Nice to meet you," said Arthur, offering a kind smile in Ryan's direction. He then said to Spencer, "Where's Ashley? I thought you left with her and Aiden."

"Ah, yeah," said Spencer. "I left to hang out at Ryan's house though."

"I see," Arthur knew not to question further. "Well, now that it's apparent that I lost once again to Glen, would one of you two girls like to play?"

"No way," Spencer shook her head. "It's impossible to beat him when he gets into full swing mode. Unless you want to try, at your own risk."

"Yeah!" cheered Glen as he evidently advanced a another level. He was pounding the plastic guitar furiously.

"Psh," scoffed Ryan. She was grinning from ear to ear. "Have I not added Super Awesome Amazingly Wonderful Guitar Hero Professionalto my already superfluous resume?"

Arthur and Spencer laughed while Ryan picked up the other spare controller and began an epic battle of the plastic guitars at one in the morning.

* * *

"I see you've found the picture of me and Ryan," Stephanie's voice startled Ashley, who had been transfixed on the picture for quite some time.

"That's the girl that I saw at the club," said Ashley, still staring fixedly at Ryan. She hadn't been able to see her clearly in the dim club. No wonder Spencer had gone home with her. She was stunning.

"Really, now?" Stephanie took a seat on her bed with her feat tucked under her. "I saw her leaving the club with some blonde."

"Spencer," uttered Ashley. "That blonde girl was Spencer."

"Oh, you know her?" asked Stephanie. "Because I would like to corner Ryan up on a wall while shouting to Spencer not to get anywhere near _my _girlfriend."

"So you're the femme…not that it looks like Ryan is exactly butch either," said Ashley. "And I more than just 'know' her…she's my ex-girlfriend."

"Oh, dear," said Stephanie. "I see. So your ex-girlfriend, with whom you are still very much in love with, is dating my ex-girlfriend, with whom _I _am still very much in love with."

"Who said I was in love with her?" said Ashley sharply, tearing her eyes away from the picture to meet Stephanie's gaze.

Stephanie's eyes rolled upward. "Are you serious? You've got it written all over your face. It couldn't be more obvious if you posted a sign on your forehead that said, 'I'M IN LOVE'."

"I guess," muttered Ashley. Her mind was still reeling with thoughts on this new revelation.

"You've got a job to do, Agent Davies," Stephanie said, making her tone serious. "You must talk to Subject 1 tomorrow and find out what exactly she and Subject 2 did together. It's a dangerous mission, but I'm counting on you."

"Ha," said Ashley, not an inkling of laughter in her voice. "There's only one problem with me barging into Spencer's personal life like that."

"Which is?" asked Stephanie expectantly.

"I have a boyfriend," said Ashley, grimacing. The very thought of Aiden right now made her angry all over again.

"Ew. Boys." Stephanie scrunched up her nose. "I can't believe that those things were made for us. I, personally, have no doubt in my mind that I was made for Ryan."

"I feel that way about Spencer," Ashley admitted. It felt good to know that she wasn't the only one pathetic enough to feel that way.

"Aw," said Stephanie. "Cute. So this means that we have to team up to separate them. Trust me, they are _so _not good for each other. Is this Spencer girl willing to wake up at seven in the morning _every day_ to meet up with Ryan for a morning jog and some Jamba Juice afterward even after a night of hooking up? I think not!"

"Spencer's a sleepyhead," smiled Ashley. The familiar warmth that came with thinking about Spencer was spreading throughout her stomach.

"Exactly. Ryan is the biggest morning person ever. It just will not work out," resolved Stephanie. "Plan Get Spencer To Be At Least Fifty Feet Away From Ryan, Stephanie's Aforementioned Girlfriend, In As Little Time As Possible is in motion!"

"I think that name is too long," mused Ashley.

"Shut up," snapped Stephanie. "If there is one thing that I hate, it's someone being all over my girl."

"Feisty," laughed Ashley. She was sensing that she was in for an extremely fun and rewarding ride…

* * *

**A/N: If anyone is wondering the time period...well, there isn't really a time period. I did start writing this before season three premiered, though.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for my own original characters.**

**Author's Note: Finally up. (: insertcleveranswer, Stephanie's question is for you!**

**We Intertwined[Chap. 5:**

"_What went wrong with you and me? This is my apology 'cause even when I fall asleep, you stay with me."--Ashley Parker Angel, Apology._

"Wait, so, this whole situation still begs the question about why you're with this Aiden guy when both you and Spencer were single," said Stephanie. She sat cross-legged on her bed. "Not to mention more than willing."

Ashley, who was currently sitting at the leather chair in front of Stephanie's work desk, replied, "This might seem weird…but I'm scared of being with Spencer. Not because I think she'll hurt me, but because I _know _I'll hurt her and I don't want that. I love her so much that hurting her would throw it back at me tenfold. With Aiden, I can be sure that he'll always come crawling back to me no matter what. I'm not sure Spencer would. I mean, she's beautiful and she's amazing. She could have anyone else in the world that wouldn't hurt her. Someone unlike me."

"But she wants _you," _said Stephanie softly. "And you're hurting her already by being with someone else. If you don't want to hurt her, at least have the respect not to be with someone else."

"I can't help it," said Ashley. "I'm so afraid of being alone. I hate it more than anything. It's the only reason that keeps me with Aiden."

"Hon, you're going to have to break that phobia," declared Stephanie. "There is no way that you can keep on using that boy and at the same time hurting Spencer."

"I know," said Ashley distractedly. "But Spence's off with your hot girlfriend. How do I even know she still wants me?"

Stephanie scoffed, "Trust me, no matter how much they try to fool themselves into believing that they can work it out together, they _can't. _I don't mean to sound cocky or anything, but I have Ryan in a way that no one else will be able to. I am her sun, her moon, her sky, her stars. Everything. I know this because I feel the exact same way about her."

"So how did you walk away from her knowing that?" questioned Ashley cautiously. She felt a pang of guilt ripple through her as she saw the hurt enter Stephanie's eyes.

"I…don't know," she confessed. "I guess that's why I decided not to warn her about my farewell. I knew I wouldn't be able to say goodbye to her even if I tried."

"Why did you leave?" Ashley's curiosity was rising. She was eager to decipher this mystery that was the situation between Ryan and Stephanie.

"I have a younger brother, Sean," started Stephanie. "I love him more than anything. He's fifteen and just about the wisest person I know. He's more of my sensei than my brother, actually. About a week before I was to leave to New York to visit my family, Sean tried to kill himself. It wasn't an ordinary, botched suicide. He slit his wrists _and _swallowed pills."

Ashley was stunned into silence; if she had thought earlier that Stephanie didn't have a good enough reason to leave, she certainly didn't know. "Oh, wow. I am so, so sorry. How is he?"

"He's doing okay," said Stephanie. "I left the same day that I'd received the news. I didn't know what to tell Ryan. I've never been so vulnerable with someone as I was with her, but this whole…_thing _was just too much for me to deal with. So I did what I do best and I ran away."

"That's understandable," said Ashley, trying to remain calm. Actually, she didn't know if it was understandable or not, but she wanted to make her new friend feel at least a little better.

"Yeah," Stephanie dropped her gaze. "I feel so guilty. Sean was so alone up in New York. My dad, being a politician, is always working and my mom wasn't much comfort. Actually, my mom is a supreme bitch. The only reason they accept my lifestyle is because it seems to add gasoline to Dad's political flame and they pay for my things down here in California because it's easier than dealing with having me with them up there. All they want is to keep their perfect image. They transferred him here Cedars-Sinai, which is why I came back to California in the first place…sort of."

"And I thought my childhood was bad," said Ashley quietly. Things with Stephanie's home life really put a good perspective on things.

"I've grown used to it," shrugged Stephanie. "I couldn't give two shits what my parents thought, mainly because they at least allowed me to go to Vassar instead of choosing out my career like Ryan's parents did. But Sean…he's so young and it's hard on him. I was his only company until Ryan and I came down here last year to finish high school."

"You can't blame yourself. If anything, the blame should fall on your parents. You know, they're the reasons why we have so many fucked up kids," Ashley yawned. She gazed over at the clock on Stephanie's desk. It was nearly 3:00 a.m.

"True that," said Stephanie. She saw Ashley's eyes flicker over to the clock. "You should probably get going. It's pretty late…or early."

"Yeah," said Ashley. "My sister's going to be freaking out at our place."

"You have a sister?" asked Stephanie, a hint of surprise in her voice. She noticed that the only thing she knew about Ashley so far was that her father had died, she hated her mother, and that she was in love with Spencer.

"Half," explained Ashley. "Her name's Kyla. So, um, I'll call you tomorrow--or later?"

"I'm not sure if I'll be up to doing anything…I'm going to go find Ryan the first chance I get and, if thing's turn out how I'm pretty sure they will, I'll be holed up in my room," Stephanie blew out a deep breath of air.

"I see," said Ashley. "Well, that makes sense. You should call me if you're upset and need to talk. I'm willing to listen."

Stephanie smiled a little, "Thanks. We'll see how things go. It was nice spending time together. We definitely have to do it again, regardless what happens. After all, we have to set the wheels rolling on our plan."

"I agree," said Ashley.

* * *

Ryan entered her home quietly, careful not to disturb her chef, Paolo, the maid, Sarah, or her parents up in the master bedroom. She made her way up to her room with relative caution and stealth, flopping onto her bed as soon as she saw it. She was dead tired after spending the remnant of the night at the Carlin home, playing all sorts of games with Spencer, Mr. Carlin, and Glen. It was pretty fun, but it had left her drained of energy and completely tired, which was why she had finally decided to retire to her home, even though all three of the Carlin's were practically begging her to stay. Mr. Carlin had even gone so far as to say that she could spend the night.

Ryan, however, knew she could not. Her parents had barely made the trip from New York to California about two days ago and she hadn't had the chance to spend some time with them. She loved her parents more than anything; they were everything anyone could hope for. Her father, Cody Lancaster, was a wonderfully quirky man and her mother, Serena Lancaster, was as tranquil and calm as humanly possible. They balanced each other out nicely and had raised Ryan to try and be evenly split down the middle, but it was clear that she took after her Dad more than her Mom.

However, thoughts of her parents usually led to thoughts of Stephanie, whom they'd positively _adored _while Ryan had dated her. Ryan sighed tiredly, a picture of ex-girlfriend emerging immediately in her mind. Although she had plenty of very noticeable features, it was her eyes that had captivated Ryan from the minute they'd met. She had never seen eyes like that; eyes that were so piercing and beautiful. Granted, her own eyes were something very rare, but she felt that Stephanie's beat hers out by a milestone.

Ryan put up her well-trained mental block, forcing Stephanie's image out of her head. Thinking about her wasn't going to get her anywhere except for another night of suffering. After all, it was very likely that she would never see her again. It was as if she'd disappeared off the face of the planet, at the same time being nice enough to make it impossible to forget her. Even Ryan's golden retriever, Helios, had been enamored by Stephanie. He couldn't stop waggling his tail whenever she was near.

_Stop it, _thought Ryan, _Stop thinking about her. It won't get you anywhere. She's gone and most likely never coming back. _She sighed yet again and went over to her dresser, removing her shirt and jeans. She picked out some extremely small shorts and a matching spaghetti strap shirt. Running a hand through her hair and rubbing her eyes tiredly, Ryan went back to her bed and laid down. As soon has her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Stephanie forced her fluttering heart to stop beating wildly inside of her chest as she stood in front of the grandiose wooden doors of the California Lancaster Estate. She had been standing there approximately ten minutes, attempting to get enough guts to knock on the door. It was pretty early at 9:00 a.m. so she knew that Ryan would be up soon. No matter how tired she was, it was physically impossible for her to fall asleep past ten. It was as if she had a permanent, insistent alarm clock in her head to wake her up.

Finally, Stephanie stepped forward and rang the doorbell. After about a minute, someone opened the door. She instantly recognized the Lancaster's twenty-something made; her name was Sarah. She had been a close companion to Ryan and Stephanie, often spending a lot of her time with them whenever they were in the Lancaster penthouse in New York. A surge of nostalgia raced through Stephanie's body.

"Oh, my!" Sarah's mouth formed an 'o'. "Steph--Ms. Kingston! What a surprise to see you around here."

"Hey, Sarah," said Stephanie, trying to keep her tone casual. "It's been a while, huh? Is Ryan home?"

"She is sleeping," informed Sarah. "But come right in! Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster are having breakfast in the main dining room."

"They're here?" Stephanie heard the surprise in her voice. Cody and Serena Lancaster practiced medicine up in New York's most elite hospital.

"They have not been here long," said Sarah. "Just a few days. Come, come! You must greet them! They have all missed you terribly."

Stephanie stepped inside the cool house, following Sarah and absently listening to her nonstop chatter on the way to the dining room where the Lancaster's were situated. Upon entering the room, all activity stopped abruptly. Paolo stopped serving Cody and Serena while the latter two stared at her in the same shock as Sarah did. After about three minutes of awkward silence, Serena spoke up.

"Stephanie! Why on God's green earth have you not left an inkling of where you have spent the past four months?" Serena stood up and swept Stephanie in a motherly hug.

Stephanie grinned, relieved that she had been welcomed with open arms even after everything. After Serena finished observing her, she turned her gaze towards Cody, who was waiting patiently to say his greetings. Immediately, Stephanie felt her heart crack all over again. Ryan looked exactly like her father, from his inky hair to the different-colored eyes to the lightly tanned skin to the incredible bone structure they both possessed. The only thing Ryan had inherited from Serena was her full lips.

"I agree with my wife!" exclaimed Cody. His eyes lit up. "We have really missed you around here. This place has needed your sharp tongue, Steph."

"I've missed all of you guys too," admitted Stephanie. Her heart was positively bursting with love for Serena, Cody, Sarah, and even Paolo, who didn't even like her in the first place.

Just when she thought that she couldn't feel better, she heard a dog barking. Stephanie felt her smile get wider. As expected, just as she turned around, Chance was sitting there, wagging his tail. His beautiful, shimmering golden coat and chocolate brown eyes the same as when she'd last seen him. She leaned down and patted his silky hair, chuckling at how excited he got when he saw her.

"Even Chance missed you," said Cody. "Well, I imagine you are eager to see Ryan. We'll let you go, but you have to promise to meet us for dinner later."

"Promise," said Stephanie, although she doubted Ryan would even want her around.  
"We're holding you to that," said Serena sternly. "Now, go. I'm sure Ryan will be up any minute now."

"Thank you," Stephanie politely excused herself and left. She signaled for Chance to follow her. "Come on, buddy."

She retraced the familiar paths of the house. She had spent so many summers with Ryan here, spending every minute of the day together. Before she'd gotten her loft, they lived together when they were in the state. Those were easily the best days in Stephanie's life. Actually, pretty much any day with Ryan happened to be the best.

They were soon at the door of Ryan's room. Stephanie felt her stomach flip over when she saw Ryan laying peacefully on her bed, asleep. The smell of the room was intoxicating; it smelled like sheer floral, soft, woody tones, with a crisp, fresh hint to it. It was Stephanie's favorite smell in the whole world. It made her feel so safe, so comforted, so _normal _again. The butterflies in her stomach intensified as she thought about what she would even say to Ryan when she woke up. What did one say in a position like this? I'm sorry for abandoning you for four months? I hope we can still be friends?

Stephanie sat down gentle next to Ryan, making sure her gaze never left her sleeping form. Slowly and gently, she began stroking her silky hair and running the tips of her fingers lightly over her forehead, her eyebrow, cheekbones, nose, and lips. They were all so familiar to her even after not having laid a hand on her for so long. She felt so perfect. Stephanie couldn't help it; she leaned down and, ever so gently, kissed Ryan's lips. It felt so good to feel her lips again, if even for a fleeting second.

Suddenly, Ryan stirred in her stupor. Stephanie flinched back. She knew it would not be a good move for Ryan to catch her even near her. So she stood up and walked back across the room, standing at the foot of the bed. After another few minutes of slight movement, Ryan's eyelids fluttered open. Stephanie watched as she rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes, doing her traditional round of stretches shortly thereafter. Ryan finally looked up, moving her gaze up slowly until she met Stephanie's own.

"Hey," said Stephanie meekly. "Did you get a good night's sleep?"

After a few moments in blank silence, Ryan's lip curled in disgust. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You certainly don't waste time," replied Stephanie dryly. "In response to your nicely worded question, I'm here to see you."

"Trying to make up for the _four months _you left me alone?" sniped Ryan. Although she most definitely shouldn't, Stephanie couldn't help but notice how incredibly sexy Ryan looked in her skimpy sleepwear and angry demeanor. She was so rarely angry.

"We need to talk about that," Stephanie moved in front of the door. She knew that Ryan would make an attempt to either kick her out or leave herself.

"Oh, now you want to talk," said Ryan. "Well, guess what? You had more than enough time to explain to me what happened. Guess what else? It's run out."

"I know," said Stephanie. "But, please, just listen to me. I know maybe you don't want to right now--"--Ryan snorted--"but I really need you to. You can continue hating me after I leave. Please, Ry. I can't ask anything of you right now, but will you do me just this one favor?"

"Five minutes," Ryan responded after a minute of thought. "No more, no less."

"Okay," breathed Stephanie. "Well, my reason for leaving…Sean tried to kill himself."

Ryan's eyebrows shot upward in surprise as she said, concern evident in her voice, "Is he okay? What happened? Where is he?"

Stephanie resisted a smile at Ryan's concern for her little brother. They'd always gotten along especially well. "He's fine, even though he did quite a lot of damage to his body. Taking four Valium's, four Prozac's, and slitting your wrists will do that to you."

"My God," uttered Ryan quietly. "Where's he being kept? Can he have visitors?"

"He's at Cedars-Sinai," answered Stephanie. "And, yes, you can visit."

"Good," said Ryan. She came out from under the covers and hopped off her bed, heading across the to her closet. Once there, she pulled out a pair of jeans and slipped them on. "I'm going to visit him later today. Well, you can leave now."

"Ryan," Stephanie said sternly, as if reprimanding her for her carelessness.

"Stephanie," Ryan's tone was blank as well as her face. It was impossible to decipher her emotions.

"Are you serious?" Stephanie arched an eyebrow. "You don't want to talk or anything?"

"Why would I?" asked Ryan. "You had four months to return all of the calls and attempts at contacting you that I made. You're a little to late, Stephanie."

Stephanie flinched at Ryan's formal use of her name. She never called her "Stephanie". It was always "Steph". "I just didn't know how to deal with everything that was going on, okay? I was so scared for Sean. If I lost him, I didn't know what I would do. You and Sean are everything that I love. So I just ran away to New York and I was by his side as soon as possible. I didn't know what to do, Ryan."

Ryan's face softened a bit. She said, "Steph, how could you _not _trust me after everything we've been through?"

"I know," said Stephanie. "But this was big. You don't know how close he was to dying and how scared and lost I felt. I didn't leave his side for one second when he was unconscious. He was so _alone, _Ryan. I felt so guilty, so responsible for what happened that I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. I was disgusted with myself."

"Stephanie Katherine Kingston, you can't blame yourself for this," Ryan said firmly. She made her way towards Stephanie so that she was standing in front of her. "Look…we're not okay, but we're not bad either. Let's go visit Sean later today. I really want to see how he's doing. We can talk about us later."

"Sounds good," Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess I'll see you later. Text me?"

"Yeah," said Ryan. Although she would never admit it at this particular moment, when she had seen Stephanie, everything in her world had righted itself, despite everything she'd put her through.

**A/N: So, what did you think!? Post your thoughts in a review! Pretty pleaseee. (:**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to South of Nowhere.**

**A/N: Hey, sorry for the great delay! This chapter is kinda short, too. Thanks for being patient, though, and I promise I'll try my hardest to update as soon as possible! **

* * *

**We Intertwined [Chap. 6:**

"_I'd like to know if you'd be open to starting over from scratch. I'd like to know if you'd be open to giving me a second chance."--Kendall Payne, "Scratch"._

Ryan sank down onto one of the chairs in the dining room, trying to steady the beating of her heart. Stephanie was back. She was back and, unfortunately, looked as beautiful as she ever had. She smelled so intoxicatingly sweet and her voice…God, had she missed that voice. She had left just about ten minutes ago, but Ryan was going to see her at noon again anyway. They were going to visit Sean. In between the news of his suicide attempt and Stephanie's return, her world was spinning uncontrollably. In a matter of moments, the girl of her dreams had returned and screwed everything up again. Stephanie Kingston would do that to you. She should come with a warning label.

Ryan felt the back pocket of her jeans vibrating suddenly, disrupting her thoughts. She pulled out her blue Sidekick LX and saw that she had a text message from Spencer:

**Spencer: **Morning. : )  
**Ryan: **Hey…  
**Spencer: **How r u?  
**Ryan: **uh could b better.  
**Spencer: **what's wrong? R u ok?  
**Ryan: **Stephanie's back.  
**Spencer: **Whoa…that's crazy! What happened?  
**Ryan: **Tell u later. I G2G 4 now. Bye.  
**Spencer: **Ok. Feel better. Bye!

Ryan stowed her cell phone away and rubbed her eyes, blinking slowly. Her eyes fled to the clock. 11:20 a.m. Was it really that late already? She sighed, deciding she should start getting ready. Stephanie was always right on time when she said she would be. Even if she _was _on time, Ryan was angry enough with her to make her wait at least an hour. She smirked as she made her way over to the bathroom. Sometimes, torturing Stephanie was a fun, interesting affair…especially when she couldn't say anything about it because she knew you had all the reason to.

* * *

Spencer stared down at her sandwich, trying to make it seem appealing enough in her mind to eat it. Her mind, however, was not cooperating with her. It kept on wandering back to Ryan and their short conversation earlier. She had said that Stephanie was back, which, although she didn't like to admit it to herself, kind of worried her. She hadn't even known Ryan for a full day, but she liked her so much already. She seemed to be someone that could really fit well with her. Maybe even take her mind off Ashley for a little while.

Ashley. She hadn't spoken to her since the phone call at Ryan's house. She might've come off as angered that Ashley had called, but she'd actually thought it was really sweet of her to check up on her. Suddenly, Spencer felt the urge to call her ex-girlfriend. She didn't know what Ashley had done the rest of the night and, frankly, she did kind of want to find out. After a couple of minutes debating, Spencer picked up her phone and hit speed dial number one. A few rings later, someone picked up.

"Hello?" the voice was most definitely not Ashley's. It was Kyla.

"Oh, hey, Kyla," said Spencer. "Um--where's Ashley?"

"Hi, Spence," greeted Kyla. "Ashley's basically comatose. She had a really late night…or morning. Whatever. She's still asleep."

"Really," Spencer breathed out deeply through her nostrils. "That sounds interesting, I guess."

"Why don't you come over? We can all catch lunch together. I know for a fact that Ash would love to see you," said Kyla.

Spencer smiled, her body humming a little at Kyla's comment. "That sounds really good. I'll be over there in a few."

"Cool," said Kyla.

Spencer hung up the phone and looked over at the time. It was noon already. She stood up, crossed the kitchen, and bounded upstairs. As usual, any thoughts of Ashley cancelled out thoughts of anything or anyone else. Instead, her mind was now occupied with what she should wear to look perfect. Yes, they were going with Kyla, but it would be nice to go out with Ashley without Aiden hanging around like usual. He was sweet, but around Ashley, he became a clingy, possessive monster.

She smiled to herself, looking around her room for what to wear. She'd had a great time with Ryan last night, but there was something about Ashley that no one else had…perhaps it was that contagious smile or that electric sparkle in her dark eyes. Whatever it was, it was what kept Spencer as in love with her as she was at the beginning despite everything. Spencer looked up at her dresser drawer and saw a picture of the aforementioned girl. Even a picture of her brightened everything up a little.

After she was dressed, Spencer went back downstairs, grabbed the keys to her parents' car, and went out to the driveway. Checking to make sure she had her essentials (purse, lip gloss, cell phone), she settled into the car and turned on the engine. Still smiling to herself, Spencer made her way towards Ashley and Kyla's home. The butterflies and sped up heart rate that always accompanied her when she was to see Ashley came back.

* * *

Ashley's eyelids fluttered open slowly, letting the sunlight filter cautiously into her tired eyes. She sat up in her bed after a minute of adjusting to the light and looked around her room. _What time is it? _was the first thought that registered in her mind. Her eyes flickered over the digital clock on her dresser. 12:30 p.m. She groaned, kicking the comforter off of her half-naked body, and stood up, rubbing the remaining sleepiness away from her eyes. Her mouth felt sour, dry, and disgusting. 

Ashley made her way over to the bathroom to brush her teeth, feeling better once the minty flavor of Colgate replaced the previous taste of her mouth. Once she was finished brushing her teeth, she stepped out of the bathroom and back into her room. She was surprised to see Spencer sitting on her bed, a blonde eyebrow arched in amusement towards her way. Ashley couldn't help breaking out into a weak smile. At least it didn't look like Spencer had spent the night with Ryan, which was most definitely a good thing.

"Do you ever wear clothes?" asked Spencer, her tone of voice reflecting her question.

"Not when you're around," retorted Ashley. "And, not that I mind at all, what are you doing here?"

Spencer smiled, "Kyla invited me over. We're going out to lunch. Care to come with us?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Ashley crossed the room to her closet, pulling out a pair of worn jeans and slipping them on.

"But of course," said Spencer sarcastically. "You know you're the only one for me, Ashley Davies."

Although she probably meant it jokingly, Ashley felt a surge of ecstasy and happiness. "Well, you know how I do…"

"Shut up! Dork," Spencer tossed a pillow at the brunette. "But I suppose it's okay…because you're _my _dork."

"That I am," answered Ashley. She removed off her shirt in search for another one. "Try not to stare."  
"Nothing I haven't seen before," shot back Spencer. However, she had to admit to herself that she _was _staring…but just a little bit (A/N: snort).

"And nothing you wouldn't like to see again," quipped Ashley. She pulled on a faded Led Zeppelin tour shirt.

Spencer laughed, "You know it."

A moment of comfortable silence passed between them as their eyes connected. After another minute, Ashley said, "Well, hey, I'm really hungry. Let's go get Kyla and head out."

"Your hair looks like a bird's nest, you know," joked Spencer as she followed Ashley out of the room.

Ashley merely stuck her tongue out at the other girl, but her day had already started out really good. Their traditional light banter always made her feel better and, if she wasn't mistaken, the conversation had felt like more than just banter. She could go so far as to say it was, oh, _flirting…_this would most certainly be an interesting day.

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**A/N: There you go! Thanks for reading. Review, please. More reviews encourage me to write sooner. lol.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to anything with the exception of my own characters and plot lines.**

**A/N: Short, I know...but I promise to make the next one longer! Thanks for waiting. ( : **

* * *

We Intertwined, Chap. 7:

_What these years have taught me…heartache and fame, a chance to change, a hope to be stronger, that beauty can smoulder, a stage and a curtain, that nothing's for certain. Oh, these years have been hard on my bones ."--Kendall Payne, "On My Bones"._

Ryan settled into the black leather passenger seat of Stephanie's car, trying not to let the intoxicating scent of her that floated around everywhere get to her. She knew that, if she let that happen, then she wouldn't be able to resist from letting the other girl have her way with her. Ryan wasn't quite ready for that. Not yet. So instead she opted for opening the window a little and staring out onto the road as they drove, forcing herself not to stare at Stephanie, which was proving to be quite the daunting task.

"Do you ever plan on looking at me again?" Stephanie asked. "Because, you know, I have a blindfold in the back seat that you could use."  
"That would be very helpful, thanks. Hand it over," retorted Ryan. God, Stephanie was _such _a smartass when she wanted to be.

Stephanie remained quiet, continuing to drive towards the hospital. Although she was ecstatic to even be near Ryan, things weren't going quite as she'd hoped. Granted, she hadn't expected them to, but it was still difficult to deal with her ex-girlfriend's snipes and snapping. It was uncharacteristic of her, if expected. Stephanie sighed when, suddenly, something on Ryan's left wrist caught her eye. When she saw that it said "Kingston" in beautiful cursive, her breath caught in her throat. She knew that Ryan didn't have that tattoo when they were together, so that meant she must've gotten it after she had left for New York.

"What's that on your wrist?" queried Stephanie cautiously. She wondered if Ryan would tell her what it was or not.

"Tattoo," answered Ryan simply. She had already thought of what she was going to say should Stephanie see her tattoos and they weren't together. It wasn't that difficult to answer.

"What of?" pressed on Stephanie.

"Your surname," Ryan began fidgeting with the thick band of silver on her thumb. It was a dead giveaway of her nervousness.

"You got it after I left," stated Stephanie softly. Her heart was pounding, threatening to jump out of her chest. It wasn't out of excitement or anything remotely like that. It was that feeling she always got around Ryan; that feeling of loving her so much that it made her heart hurt.

"I did," said Ryan. "And, no, I don't regret it."

Wordlessly, Stephanie took Ryan's hand and interlaced it with her own, feeling a warm, tingly feeling spreading throughout her whole body. Shortly, however, that feeling vanished as Ryan slid her fingers away from Stephanie's grasp and sighed tiredly.

"Stephanie, not now," said Ryan. "I don't want to jump into this. I'm not even sure if I want this. Not right now."

"Do you like someone else?" asked Stephanie. She put her lone hand back on the steering wheel and gripped it tightly.

"Yes," said Ryan. "I do. Look, I'm not saying that I don't have feelings for you. I'm still in love with you…and I probably always will be. But I can't do this right now. I don't know if I can trust you, not until I see it."

"Right," muttered Stephanie.

So many conflicting emotions swirled through her. Jealousy. She was envious that Spencer had caught Ryan's attention and liking in the span of one night. Regret. She wished that she hadn't left her like that because, if she hadn't, things would be so different. Plenty of "what if's" ran through her mind. Remorse. She could see the hurt in Ryan's eyes every time she saw her.

"Let's just visit Sean, okay? I want things to be peaceful for him," said Ryan. "I don't want him to know we're having any problems. You know he'll worry and that's the last thing he needs right now."

"Yeah, I know," said Stephanie. "It's fine, really. I mean, it's not like you were off-limits to dating anyone or--"

"Steph. Stop."

"Okay."

* * *

"You know, Spence, if I didn't know you, I would think that you wanted me," trilled Ashley teasingly, sipping her juice. She slipped her sunglasses over her eyes as she, Spencer, and Kyla headed towards the car.

Kyla groaned, "I wish you guys would just get a room or something. Jeez. I really don't want to be present in this sexually tense situation."

"We don't have any sexual tension," said Spencer defensively. She was lying right through her teeth, of course. You could pretty much _feel _the tension when they were having lunch together just a few minutes ago.

"Right," said Kyla. "And I'm not Raife Davies' daughter…"

"It's very possible," grinned Ashley, dodging a slap that came from her half-sister shortly afterwards. "Kidding!"

"Well, we don't have any tension that hasn't already been taken care of," said Spencer firmly. She arched a blonde eyebrow at Ashley in a way that said "agree with me or else".

As expected, Ashley grumbled, "I agree."

"Good," said Spencer. "I'm glad we're on the same page here."

"Anyway," said Kyla as the three girls slid into the car. "I was thinking we could all go to a movie that's out. It looks really good in the previews."

Ashley scrunched up her nose in distaste, saying, "You have shitty taste in movies, so I'm not sure I trust that entirely." She sped out of the parking lot and into the streets.

"Ash! Be nice. I'm sure it's a great movie," said Spencer, hitting Ashley lightly on the arm.

"Oooh, baby, do it again. Harder," Ashley's smile was broad and her tone lascivious.

"My poor, poor ears," moaned Kyla. "I am really garnering a new perspective on the word 'uncomfortable'."

"Get your mind off of sex for a minute, please?" pouted Spencer. "Let's just have us a pleasant day at the movies."

"If you insist," said Ashley. A few minutes of silence and music followed before they were parked at the theatre.

They stepped out of the car and made their way towards the ticketing booth. The scene in front of them hit both Spencer and Ashley like a ton of bricks. Stephanie and Ryan were standing right in front of them in line, along with some dark-haired boy that looked about fifteen or sixteen. Ashley turned towards Spencer, who had just ask much shock registered on her face as she herself felt.

"Ryan?" she called out.

The striking girl with long, inky hair turned towards them, her different-colored eyes reflecting her surprise. She said, "Spence, hey!"

Soon after, Stephanie turned as well and, seeing Ashley, she greeted, "What's up, Ashley? Surprise seeing you here."

Both Spencer and Ashley turned towards each other, at the same time exclaiming, "You know her?"

Spencer answered first, "Yeah. I met her at Gray. Remember? Her name's Ryan."

"Yes," said Ashley rigidly. "I met Stephanie at Gray too."

"Care to introduce your friend?" Ryan turned towards Stephanie, who just realized how _bad _this whole situation might seem in her ex-girlfriend's mind. Mistrust, mistrust, and mistrust.  
"Ah, yes, this Ashley," said Stephanie. "Ashley, this is Ryan…the girl I told you about."

"Nice to meet you," said Ryan stiffly. "Well, Spencer, I'd like to introduce you to Stephanie."

Spencer shifted her gaze towards Stephanie, a hollow feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. The girl was _gorgeous_ in an elegant, upstate New York kind of way. Her piercing eyes intimidated Spencer more than slightly.

"It's nice to meet you," said Spencer, smiling weakly at Stephanie.

"Likewise," replied Stephanie, her tone dripping with icicles and her gaze none too friendly.

"Um--Steph?" the boy spoke for the first time. Suddenly, five heads swiveled his way. "Whoa."

"This is Sean, my little brother," introduced Stephanie, not directing her statement towards anyone in particular.

Ashley studied Sean, surprised by how much he looked like Stephanie. He, too, was tall and beautiful with dark brown hair that fell over electric blue eyes. She, Spencer, and Kyla all said, "Nice to meet you too."

After an excruciatingly long silence, Kyla spoke up for the first time, "Well, this is quite awkward."

Silently, everyone agreed.

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**A/N: What do you think? Tell me in a review, please!**

**Thank you. ( :**

**P.S. Make note that I take suggestions in high regard and often include them in my stories so feel free to unleash any ideas you have!**


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